Research Spotlight

Annelise Nguyen, diagnostic medicine/pathobiology, was featured in a Kansas City Area Life Sciences “Expert Exchange” video, in which she discussed her research on cell communication and her patented compound that can both stop tumor development and increase efficacy of anti-cancer drugs so that doses can be smaller and thus less toxic.

Radiation expert Amir Bahadori, mechanical & nuclear engineering, received the Zeldovich Medal from the COSPAR Scientific Commission F, Life Sciences as Related to Space. read more

A bio-delivery technology invented by John Tomich, biochemistry & molecular biophysics, has been licensed by Phoreus Biotechnology. Tomich’s Branched Amphiphilic Peptide Capsules are a nano-material designed to deliver biomolecules that can improve vaccines and cancer therapies, among other uses. read more

He is currently principal investigator for a five-year study that is expected to lead to a bronchoscopic microwave ablation system for treating lung tumors. The project is funded by a more than $1 million grant from the National Cancer Institute. read more

Sunghun Park, horticulture & natural resources, will serve as co-principal investigator on a National Science Foundation-supported study to improve plant tissue culture methods for genome engineering. The $2.4 million grant is to improve understanding of the genetic basis underlying the ability of plant tissues to regenerate into whole plants, a process critical for plant genome engineering. Read more

Spring Awards and Student Recognition Banquet

Thanks to our generous supporters, we invested $125,017 in K-State cancer research and education last semester! We awarded faculty $50,000 for innovative research projects, $19,000 for laboratory equipment, and $2,665 for travel to collaborate or receive training. We awarded graduate students and post-docs $6,250 for travel and $47,102 in summer stipends. The awardees are listed on our Faculty and Student Awardee webpages. Funds were also set aside for a new Center of Excellence in cancer research.

We honored undergraduate student cancer researchers at our Cancer Research Awards Banquet April 13. Recognized along with the students were their faculty mentors and families, and the donors who made the awards possible. Photos are available in an album on Facebook.

Cancer Journal Club

The Cancer Journal Club is a forum for K-State students, faculty and friends interested in hot topics in cancer biology. Undergraduate students are especially encouraged to participate. For each meeting, a professor or graduate student involved in cancer research chooses a high-impact research article in the field of cancer biology for all club members to read, and then leads discussion about it at the meeting. Undergraduate students can elect to present papers to improve their oral presentation skills.

The club generally meets every other week. For more information, contact Dr. Katsura Asano at kasano@ksu.edu.